Chapter 31

Six months later

Olivia lifted the broom and tapped it on Constance’s head. “You do have a gown, my dear.”

Constance twirled, causing her glittering skirts to whirl around her. It was easy to imagine her as the forgotten stepchild of an uncaring family, granted a second chance by a magical, fairy godmother.

Olivia was more than willing to fill that role.

Constance stopped and thumped down on her bed, still grinning.

“Dizzy?” Olivia asked.

Constance settled her skirts and raised her chin. “It is simply the heat, my lady. I dare say it is stifling in this ballroom.”

A laugh bubbled up Olivia’s throat. Constance was an endless delight. Her mood had lifted considerably over the past few months. She had even allowed Mr. Ringwell to court her, although Thel insisted she wait until she was twenty before they married.

Mrs. Quill hovered in the corner, her hands at her waist, disapproval written across her features. Olivia had suggested they find a new employer for the stern woman, but Constance would have nothing of it.

“Mrs. Quill may be stern, but she can also be kind,” Constance had said. So the woman remained, radiating disapproval every time Olivia and Constance engaged in their play.

Olivia set down the broom and sat beside Constance on the bed. “Are you looking forward to your reintroduction to society?”

Mr. Ringwell would be there, and so would many members of the Vaith household. It had taken weeks of negotiating for Thel to broker peace between his family, but everyone had eventually come around to the idea of another season for Constance, although they were all keeping a close eye on her after what had happened. Thel had even pulled Mr. Ringwell aside and instructed him not to ask Constance to marry him again until the end of the season, so that she could take things slowly. When Constance learned of this, she had not been so pleased, but neither had she complained. Perhaps she sensed the worry and relief that her uncles felt. Regardless, it made it difficult for Olivia to find time with her husband where they were not being observed.

At least they had their nights together.

A grin tugged on her lips. Thel was an eager learner, plumbing the depths of her knowledge, pushing her to the edge of her comfort, but no further. They had reached heights of pleasure that she had never thought possible. But more important than that, she felt she could truly be herself around him. She laughed hysterically when he tickled her sides, prancing around their room on her tiptoes when she was happy and even singing phrases of her favorite songs. Thel never shushed her. Sometimes he even joined in. The cruel streak she had feared he possessed had never appeared, and she had finally stopped waiting for him to change.

She touched her stomach. It was too soon to tell, but she suspected that there was a life growing in her. The dream that she had thought was dead had revived, and she couldn’t wait for the day she held her child in her arms.

She still maintained her flirtatious act in public, but she felt more and more comfortable releasing it when she was around her friends and family. Thel’s family had folded her into their flock as if she were any other of their relatives, and she felt blessed every time they sat down to dinner as a family. Thel had even forgiven Felix, although he had convinced the man to allow Celina to leave London.

A rap at the door had them both turning. Mrs. Quill answered it, then stepped aside as Thel entered, wearing a black suit. Olivia rose to meet her husband, holding her hands so he could take them. He smiled, and as usual, the way his eyes crinkled at the edges made her heart warm.

He leaned over and kissed her softly, eliciting a giggle from Constance and a sniff from Mrs. Quill.

“Are you ready, my love?” he asked.

She draped her arms over his shoulders. “Ready for what?”

He withdrew a wooden spoon from his jacket. “Ready to defend yourself!”

Constance squealed as he chased them around the room. Even Mrs. Quill unbent enough to smile. When Thel admitted defeat, he collapsed on the bed with a dramatic cry. Olivia and Constance joined him, bundled together like a warren of rabbits. Only months ago, Olivia would not have seen the value in such emotional closeness, but she’d learned much about herself since the first article had been published. She’d used matchmaking to fill a void in her life, occupying her time so she never had to confront her loneliness. Such a life no longer appealed to her.

She’d discovered something much better: a man who loved her, and whom she loved desperately in return.